Thread Basting or Safety Pins?

Hi Everyone,

I'm layering Paul's king-size quilt (110" x 110")and having a hard time making sure the backing is smooth, once I get it smoothed out again how would you suggest I baste it?

I'm wanting to handquilt it, he wants me to machine quilt it but there's a challenge: my machine is on a little bitty table so I have nothing to hold the quilt parts that hang off the table. I'm seriously thinking of calling my LQS to see if they'll quilt it for us, I've been layering for the past three hours and getting totally frustrated and now the kitchen floor is completely covered.

Thank you!

Ruthann,
This is the method I have used, I've not done a 110 x same quilt. I'd think you would need a helper to turn those very long boards.
Its a nice method.
NOTE: These videos come in Part 1 through 3...she must have pulled part 3 off the web. But you can get the idea well enough by watching part one and two.
I hope this helps.
Personaly even if i didnt use the boards I would baste before I would mess with pins...I remove the thread as I go, but you can sew over this and it will slide out of your stitches.

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwNylePFAA

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_EjBGz5vGQ&feature=related

Ruthann..Chris posted those videos quite a while back..on a different forum. At that time I had a stack of bed sized quilt tops just sitting because I no longer had the floor space to spread them out for basting. I thought I'd give the method with the boards a try..but I switched to wider boards. I just love this method! I baste with thread..I always have because the pins would get in my way with the way I quilt. I've done 3 Queen sized quilts so far. It works great, although it's handy if you have someone around to help with that first turn of the boards with the wider quilts. I use a banquet table with a card table butted up against it.

I've heard that some long armers will baste quilts for people. I have no idea on what they charge for that though? Just another option.

I wouldn't dare try my kitchen floor. The paramedics would have to get me up again.

I go to our senior center, push 3 tables together, tape down the backing, get a friend to help me float the batting and top into place then pine like crazy. After I have one side's table worth all pinned, I pull that one away. This way I can do the whole thing while sitting down. Becaue I am paranoid, I pull up an edge every once in a while and check to be sure the back is still smooth. I have done a huge number of king sized quilts this way. A regular ping pong table also works, if you get get those dirty old me to give it up for that long. (In my town, ping pongis serious business.) If you make sure you have the alignment right on the sides, it's OK if it hang over as gravity will hold it in place. You can roll the completed parts out of you way as you go.

I do mine on the livingroom floor. I use T-pins to attach the backing to the rug, smoothing and stretching it (but not too much). Then I use spray adhesive, lay the batting down, smoothing it, then I spray again and lay down the top. Then I pin, starting in the center.

As I hand quilt I remove the pins. There is always error. I have never hand basted or pinned when I haven't had to continue smoothing the backing out as I do the quilting. I keep my left hand underneath, busy, busy, smoothing all the slack to the edge. I think the reason for this is that in the course of the quilting the tension of the top layer is slacker than the tension of the backing (not a bad thing and not something you can see), and you can't allow for this as you pin or baste. So you just work everything out toward the edge.

I have been really happy with the adhesive spray. It doesn't do any damage (I have used and washed quilts done with it and can't see that it has had any effect). It just makes things easier and neater. By the time I get to the edge I may have to spread the quilt out and iron the edges to reactivate the adhesive, but by that time most of the pins are already out and I'm grateful to have the thing held together by more than my hands.

I was watching a show on tv and saw them using sulky brand spray. My big can of spray that I buy from JoAnns is empty so I thought I would check out the sulky brand.
Its in a small can...a.nd I do mean small......and its 13.00 for about 3 oz. which is much more than I pay for the other.
The difference being however that the sulky spray completly diminishes by itself and the other does not. I didn't buy it, I really am spending way too much money on my sewing to warrent the extragance. For now I'll stick to my Joann's can 9.00 for 12 oz.
Is it that much better? Has anyone used the Sulky?
Had to look it up.......3.6 oz.
http://www.overstock.com/Crafts-Sewing/Sulky-Temporary-Spray-Adhesive/3127620/product.html

I have not. With the asthma, I am better off pin basting.

I bought a can of the sulky with a %40 off coupon. I am using it now for applique. It worked fine on the smaller ones. (used iron on for the bigger ones.) Haven't used it for layering. I like the small size....you can control where it goes. I'll let you know when I wash. The smell isn't as bad as the other one I used...the 505 Spray and Fix. I tend to use pins for layering on the bigger quilts. Use spray for the smaller ones....like wall hangings, etc.